Kimi Antonelli, who is currently heading the championship standings, topped the timing sheets in the last practice session for the Spanish Grand Prix at the newly built Madring circuit. The session, however, was dramatically interrupted when seven‑time world champion Lewis Hamilton suffered a heavy off‑track incident that cost him precious track time ahead of the qualifying round.
Only twenty minutes into the practice, Hamilton appeared to be on a rapid lap that could have placed him near the top of the list. As he approached the final corner, he mis‑judged his braking point, carried too much speed into the turn and collided head‑on with the safety barriers.
The impact was not at full racing speed, but it was sufficient to dislodge the front wing of his Mercedes. The wing fell away and became trapped beneath the right‑hand front tyre, prompting Ferrari’s race engineers to advise Hamilton to bring the car to a stop. Despite the warning, Hamilton elected to nurse the damaged car back toward the pit lane rather than immediately retiring the vehicle.
He hoped to preserve as much running as possible for the upcoming qualifying session scheduled for 3 p.m. (the build‑up begins at 2.15 p.m.). While he managed to reverse out of the barrier, the compromised front wing continued to scrape against the tyre, eventually causing the car to stall in the middle sector of the track. Sky Sports F1 commentator Anthony Davidson was quick to criticize Hamilton’s decision, stating that any young driver observing the incident would understand that continuing to drive a car with a broken front wing is unsafe and against the spirit of the rules.
"You don’t do that," Davidson said. "The rule exists for a reason – if the wing were to completely detach and lift the front wheels, you could end up with marshals on the circuit and a serious safety hazard." The crash triggered a red‑flag period that lasted 45 minutes while track officials repaired the damaged barrier.
During the stoppage, the session clock was halted with fifteen minutes left on the timer, giving the drivers a chance to complete additional flying laps once the session resumed on the newly repaired section of the circuit. When the session restarted, Antonelli set a blistering lap of 1:32.797, edging out Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc by a narrow 0.166 seconds. The Italian youngster’s performance extended his lead in the Drivers’ Championship to 66 points over his Mercedes teammate George Russell, underscoring his rapid rise in the sport.
McLaren also showed encouraging speed, with Oscar Piastri posting the third‑fastest time and Lando Norris slotting in fourth despite having missed most of the second practice session on Friday due to earlier technical issues. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen recorded the fifth‑quickest lap, while Russell managed sixth place. The spread of times suggested that pole position could be contested by several contenders as the track continued to evolve and grip levels improved.
Haas rookie Oliver Bearman demonstrated the difficulty of the high‑speed Turn 11, suffering a major crash that left his car heavily damaged. The incident forced the team into a frantic effort to rebuild the chassis in time for qualifying, highlighting the unforgiving nature of the new circuit. The weekend schedule is packed with action.
On Saturday, September 12, the build‑up to qualifying begins at 2.15 p.m., followed by the qualifying session at 3 p.m., then the Formula 3 Feature Race 1 at 4.55 p.m., and finally Ted’s Qualifying Notebook at 6 p.m. Sunday, September 13, features the second F3 Feature Race at 8.40 a.m., the F2 Feature Race at 10.20 a.m., the Grand Prix build‑up at 12.30 p.m., the main Spanish Grand Prix race at 2 p.m., the chequered flag ceremony at 4 p.m., and post‑race analysis in Ted’s Notebook at 5 p.m. All events are broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, with additional coverage on Sky Sports Main Event.
Formula 1 fans can stream the coverage via Sky Sports with the NOW platform, which offers a contract‑free option that can be cancelled at any time. The Spanish Grand Prix at Madring promises a thrilling race on Sunday, and the practice sessions have already highlighted both the speed of the emerging talent and the ever‑present risk of a high‑speed circuit. Hamilton’s crash serves as a reminder that even the most experienced drivers must respect the limits of their machinery and the safety protocols designed to protect everyone on track.